Punching-press.



PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

L. L. BARBER.

P'UNCHING PRESS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 4, 1904.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

PUNCHlNG-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,774, dated March 14, 1905.

Application filed May 4,1904. Serial No. 206,362.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN L. BARBER, of Charlestown, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Punching- Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to presses and dies for punching holes in various materials, and particularly in leather toe-caps for boots and shoes.

The object of the invention is to furnish an improved means of fastening the die members to the press and to reduce the time required in exchanging the die members when it is desired to change from one design of perforation to another, and an incidental result accomplished is the attainment of greater certainty in the registration of the die members, which has heretofore frequently sulfered on account of the methods which have prevailed of securing the die members to their supports.

The prior devices in most common use in presses of this character for securing the die members to their supports have consisted either of screws or of simple headed or flangedbolts provided with adjusting-nuts, the screws or bolts being usually at least as many as four in number and requiring separate adjustment or an arrangement of beveled or dovetailed members used with screws or bolts and also requiring separate adjustment. As an imp rovement on these devices 1 provide a wedge or system of wedges or their equivalents and an improved operating mechanism therefor whereby in a single operation it is possible to adjust the wedges for both of the die members simultaneously, thereby securing the said members to their supports. This adjusting mechanism is so constructed as to be capable of equalizing the adjustment of a plurality of wedges.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a die-press constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3

represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4: 4t of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 represent detail sections similar to Fig, 4, showing the wedges and their operating mechanism in two different positions. Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 4, showing the devices for automatically stopping the press-plunger. Fig. 8 represents a similar view showing said devices in a different position. line 9 9 of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, 10 represents a frame having bearings at its upper end journaling a horizontal power-shaft 11 for operating the press-plunger 12, slidable vertically in guides. The shaft 11 carries an eccentric wrist 13, connected by a pitman 14 with the said plunger. This wrist has a bearing in a sleeve or bushing 15, having an eccentric hole for re ceiving the wrist, said bushing being secured in a split clamp 16 on the abutment and rotatably adjustable to determine the proper position of the plunger with regard to the die members when the latter are to be secured to their seats, as hereinafter indicated.

17 represents an upper die member, which is or may be of the usual character, designed to punch a series of holes in leather toe-caps and consisting of punch-pins h'xed to a flat punch-holder plate, as plainly seen in the drawings. The plunger 12 has a broad head 18 at its lower end, against which the plate of the upper or male die member 17 is secured and is adapted to be clamped by the flanged heads of a pair of bolts 19, which have a sliding lit in the plunger-head 18. These bolts are made to screw through the ends of a yoke 20, adapted to slide on the stem of the plunger, and are provided with lock-nuts 21.

22 is a wedge, which passes through an aperture in the plunger 12 and resides underneath the yoke 20, it being evident that longitudinal movement of this wedge into its aperture will raise the yoke 20. movement will allow said yoke to descend. The former movement has the elfect of clamping the punch-holding plate of the die member 17 to the head of the plunger 12 by the flanges of the bolts 19, and the contrary movement has the e'lfect of releasing the die member.

Fig. 9 represents a section on A contrary 23 represents the lower or female die member, consisting of the usual perforated plate adapted to a male die of the above-described character, said die-plate resting on a stationary bed 24, forming a part of the main frame 10. To secure the lower die-plate, there is provided a yoke 25 and bolts 26 screwinginto the ends of said yoke and having lock-nuts 27, the upper ends of said bolts being flanged or headed to engage the die-plate. A wedge 28 operates between the yoke 25 and a fixed abutment 29 on the frame, movement of said wedge toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 4, serving to depress the yoke and clamp the die-plate 23 to its bed, while a contrary movement of the wedge permits the yoke to rise under the influence of springs 30 and release the die-plate.

For the simultaneous operation of the wedges 22 28 they are pivoted to the ends of an equalizing-lever 31, there being a link 32 interposed between said lever and the upper wedge 22 to permit the slight vertical movement of said wedge which accompanies that of the plunger 12. The lever 31 is pivotally connected by a link 33 with an operatinglever 34, pivoted to the frame 10 on a removable taper pin 35 at the lower end of the lever. The system of wedges and levers is guided for horizontal movement by an extension 36 of the lower wedge 28, mounted to slide in an apertured car 37 on the frame 10. A shoulder 38 on this extension cooperates with the car 37 to stop or limit the retracting movement of the wedge 28. The rctractingmovement of the upper wedge 22 is limited by a fixed abutment 39 on the frame encountered by the heel of the link 32.

40 is an adjustable gage for positioning the die 23 when the latter is inserted in the press, and 41 is the usual stripper for clearing the work from the pins of the upper die member 17.

In the operation of the above-named parts, Fig. 6 represents the position assumed by the wedges 22 28 when the clamping devices for both die members are released by swinging the hand-lever 34 to the right. ith the parts in this position the die is inserted with its two members fitted together to preserve their register. WVhen the edges of the dieplates are inserted between the flanged heads of the bolts 19 26 and the plunger-head 18 and press-bed 24, the hand-lever 34 may be thrown to the left, with the effect of separating the two yokes 20 25 by the action of the wedges 22 28, and thereby clamping the dieplates to their supports. The lever 31 and link 33 permit an equalizing of the motion of the two wedges, so that if there is relative inequality in the thickness of dies or change will usually pull out before the other as shown, for example, in Fig. 5, which illustrates the upper wedge pulled-out, and that one will encounter its stop 39, the latter then acting as a fulcrum for the lever 31, whereby power applied through the link 33 withdraws the other wedge, 28.

Loose on the shaft 11 is a belt-pulley 42, which connects with the shaft by a well-known form of clutch, consisting of a bolt 43, pressed by a spring 44 into suitable cavities in the hub of the belt-pulley. A pivoted wedge 45, operated by a treadle-rod 46, controls this bolt in the usual manner-that is to say, upon the retraction of the wedge 45 the bolt, which slides in a collar 47, fixed to the shaft 11, will engage belt-pulley 42 and lock the latter to the shaft. The operator then releases the wedge and the latter moves into the path of bolt 43 and automatically retracts the latter when the shaft 11 has made one complete rotation. 48 is a second wedge located opposite the wedge 46 and mounted on a rockshaft 49, to which is attached a hand-lever 50, Fig. 1. In changing the die it is desirable to have the plunger 12 in its proper lowermost position, so that the die can be inserted with its members engaged. By allowing the wedge 48 to be depressed in the path of the bolt 43 when the wedge 45 is retracted to rotate shaft 11 and move the plunger 12 from its uppermost position the shaft will be automatically stopped in its movement and in its proper lowermost position by said wedge 48 encountering and withdrawing the bolt 43. Then if the upper wedge 48 be thrown out of the way by means of the handle 50 the shaft 11 will complete its rotation and leave the machine ready for a punching operation.

This invention is not of course confined to the particular type of press or die herein illus trated.

I claim-4 1. In a die-press, the combination of a press member having a die-seat, a detachable die member having a base for attachment to said seat, a clamping device having portions connected to simultaneously engage said die-base at substantially opposite points thereof to clamp it to the press member, and means to actuate said clamping device.

2. Ina die-press, the combination of a press member having a die-seat, a clamping-yoke having grippers to engage a die member and separated by a space for the entrance of said member, and a slidable wedge operating on said yoke to secure the die member to said seat.

3. In a die-press, the combination of press members relatively mounted to approach and recede, die-clamps on the respective press members, and means to simultaneously actuate said die-clamps to cause them to clamp the dies.

4. In a die-press, the combination of press members relatively mounted to approach and recede, die clamps on the respective press members, and means including slidable wedges and actuating mechanism therefor, for operating said die-clamps to cause them to clamp the dies.

5. In a die-press, the combination of relatively movable press members having die-. clamps, wedges therefor, operating means adapted to simultaneously actuate said wedges, and an equalizing connection between said operating means and said wedges.

6. In a die-press, the combination of press members having die-clamps, means for simultaneously actuating said clamps including an equalizing-lever, and stop-abutments acting as fulcrums for the opposite ends of said lever.

7. In a die-press, the combination of relatively movable press members having dieclamps, sliding Wedges to actuate said clamps, an equalizing-lever having a pivotal connec tion with said wedges, an oscillatory operating member having a pivotal connection with said lever, and fulcrum-stops for the opposite ends of said equalizing-lever.

8. In a die-press, the combination of a movable press-plunger, a cooperating press meml her, a die having members removably attached i to said plunger and press member, a rotary driving device for said plunger, a clutch to connect said driving device with the plunger, means to automatically disengage said clutch after a complete cycle of the plunger, and auxiliary means to automatically disengage the clutch after a half-cycle of the plunger.

9. In a die-press, the combination of a lower die-seat, a movable plunger, a die consisting of a lower plate to fasten to the lower dieseat and an upper plate having punches to fasten to the movable plunger, clamping means having portions connected to simultaneously engage and fasten said parts of the die to the lower die-seat and movable plunger, and means to simultaneously actuate the portions of said clamping device.

10. In adie-press,the combination of a movable press-plunger, a die member, a clamp therefor, and a Wedge carried by said plunger for setting the clamp to secure the die member to the plunger.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LYMAN L. BARBER. Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATOHELDER. 

